Recollé Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
recollecters) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
recolle2019-05-07 08:25 am
recollecters) wrote in recolle2019-05-07 08:25 am
(no subject)
EVENT
PREMISE • RULES • FAQ • TAKEN • RESERVES • APPLICATIONS
REGAINS • HIATUS/DROPS • PLOT SUBMISSIONS • CALENDAR • MOD CONTACT • NAV
REGAINS • HIATUS/DROPS • PLOT SUBMISSIONS • CALENDAR • MOD CONTACT • NAV
CONTENT WARNINGS:
Slight medical/body horror (optional needle usage/physical changes/ailments) in prompt 5
Slight medical/body horror (optional needle usage/physical changes/ailments) in prompt 5
Prologue.
It's been a quiet week in the city of Recollé. Nothing has been under attack, nobody's gone missing, and that mechanical eye abomination sits almost peacefully on top of city hall watching over everyone. It's hard to say if the machine is even powered on, but it appears to turn in one of the four cardinal directions each day. North, South, East, and then West. It repeats this pattern, but further investigation will reveal that the glass cover of the eye can't be broken and it seems to be projecting a thin beam of light leading to these directions. Should one follow the lights, they'll find that they lead straight to thick metal pipes buried beneath the ground, all leading straight to Peach Beach no matter which direction they run. Strange, isn't it? The pipes are cold to the touch but pulse under your hand...perhaps now isn't the time to meddle with them though.
Instead, a message comes in from the liaison on the evening of the 7th, just as promised.
For what it's worth, I think the eye is no longer dangerous but getting to the source of its brain is going to be a pain in the ass. Let's not antagonize it for now, but...we might need to split the ocean again.
I can't tell you what these numbers mean. They came to me, and I know they're important, but I don't know why. They're coordinates, so I trust you guys to prepare for a leap through time and do what needs to be done. I'll monitor things here, as usual.
07:07:2017
02:01:1917
05:25:1212
10:31:2015
03:21:1954
You can always plug in the current date and location to get back to where you need to be. That's our failsafe, but make sure you time your return just right. Good luck.
At first, plugging in any of these numbers doesn't seem to have any sort of effect. In fact, it feels as though you're standing in the very same spot and even the area around you appears to be the same. On the other hand, the moment you take a step forward you're pitched face-first into an invisible wall, stumbling out to a new location…
Well. Hope you were prepared for that.
It's been a quiet week in the city of Recollé. Nothing has been under attack, nobody's gone missing, and that mechanical eye abomination sits almost peacefully on top of city hall watching over everyone. It's hard to say if the machine is even powered on, but it appears to turn in one of the four cardinal directions each day. North, South, East, and then West. It repeats this pattern, but further investigation will reveal that the glass cover of the eye can't be broken and it seems to be projecting a thin beam of light leading to these directions. Should one follow the lights, they'll find that they lead straight to thick metal pipes buried beneath the ground, all leading straight to Peach Beach no matter which direction they run. Strange, isn't it? The pipes are cold to the touch but pulse under your hand...perhaps now isn't the time to meddle with them though.
Instead, a message comes in from the liaison on the evening of the 7th, just as promised.
For what it's worth, I think the eye is no longer dangerous but getting to the source of its brain is going to be a pain in the ass. Let's not antagonize it for now, but...we might need to split the ocean again.
I can't tell you what these numbers mean. They came to me, and I know they're important, but I don't know why. They're coordinates, so I trust you guys to prepare for a leap through time and do what needs to be done. I'll monitor things here, as usual.
07:07:2017
02:01:1917
05:25:1212
10:31:2015
03:21:1954
You can always plug in the current date and location to get back to where you need to be. That's our failsafe, but make sure you time your return just right. Good luck.
At first, plugging in any of these numbers doesn't seem to have any sort of effect. In fact, it feels as though you're standing in the very same spot and even the area around you appears to be the same. On the other hand, the moment you take a step forward you're pitched face-first into an invisible wall, stumbling out to a new location…
Well. Hope you were prepared for that.
I. The City of Recollé, July 2017
Some of you may recognize this place as the original Retrospec building, the place that once stood where Wiffle-Waffle now remains. Entering the building will show that the Retrospec Headquarters seem to be missing doors and hallways, an elevator permanently grounded to the bottom floor, and a receptionist's desk that's empty. However, lights wrap around the handrail of the staircase, inviting you to walk up toward the second floor. The doors from this floor are missing as well, but there's a door ajar as light streams from it. Pushing the door open reveals a young man in his early 20s, clad in jeans and a sweater vest as he's hunched over a laptop, rapidly typing up a document and steadily working through the reports on his desk. The room doesn't have much space to it, but books about biology and genetics are intermingled with notes about evolution and hybrid animals. Comic books and horror movies sit in a neat pile in a corner near a small TV, screen frozen on a large monster of some sort. A table in the back is home to a few fossilized items in jars, along with empty coffee cups and house plants. In another corner is a clothing rack with a handful of costumes and a sewing machine sits on the floor nearby. Tacked on the wall is a reminder of the dates of the Recollé ReConvention.
And as you enter, Maurice Fitzwilliam suddenly looks up from his laptop and narrows his eyes and asks one very specific question.
"What are you doing here?"
Some of you may recognize this place as the original Retrospec building, the place that once stood where Wiffle-Waffle now remains. Entering the building will show that the Retrospec Headquarters seem to be missing doors and hallways, an elevator permanently grounded to the bottom floor, and a receptionist's desk that's empty. However, lights wrap around the handrail of the staircase, inviting you to walk up toward the second floor. The doors from this floor are missing as well, but there's a door ajar as light streams from it. Pushing the door open reveals a young man in his early 20s, clad in jeans and a sweater vest as he's hunched over a laptop, rapidly typing up a document and steadily working through the reports on his desk. The room doesn't have much space to it, but books about biology and genetics are intermingled with notes about evolution and hybrid animals. Comic books and horror movies sit in a neat pile in a corner near a small TV, screen frozen on a large monster of some sort. A table in the back is home to a few fossilized items in jars, along with empty coffee cups and house plants. In another corner is a clothing rack with a handful of costumes and a sewing machine sits on the floor nearby. Tacked on the wall is a reminder of the dates of the Recollé ReConvention.
And as you enter, Maurice Fitzwilliam suddenly looks up from his laptop and narrows his eyes and asks one very specific question.
"What are you doing here?"
II. The City of Recollé, February 1917
The city of Recollé…though not as you would currently recognize it. The only identifying feature of this land is the miles and miles of peach trees alongside the ocean, the starting foundations for Peach Beach and the woods flanking the area. The land itself seems to be newly inhabited, buildings starting to rise up and foundations stabilized as the people around you are hard at work in making this city into a place that's inhabitable. For those brave enough to venture forward, they may find themselves drawn into the woods, following a path that's less clear-cut than previous paths. Trees grow with tangled roots and the grass is tall and thick. Creatures such as snakes and bears live in these woods and for those who aren't careful where they step, they may encounter these creatures. However, a little bit of walking and dedication will bring adventurers to a wall of thick, green vines and foliage. Hidden just behind the foliage is a door, seemingly brand new and a light peers out from this section of the rocks before you. Sharp eyes will realize that there's a small, familiar logo hidden in the paint of this door as well.
Modernized for the times, the interior of the bunker is clean and orderly. A receptionist desk with a typewriter and rotary phone sit in the lobby, and should one test the phone they'll find everything seems to be in working order. The room is a centralized hub, a narrow hallway leading to four doors with emblems of a wolf, a rabbit, a bear and a koi fish on each. The rooms themselves are locked, but at the very end of the hallway is a large meeting space. Voices can be heard and upon peering inside, one might notice that a door slides open in the wall as the four founders of the city slip through it, the secret passageway closing on its own.
Spread out on the table are several sheets of paper, many of which reflect diagrams of layers, maps of the city, and several contracts and guidelines mapped out. Most familiar, of course, is a contract about the Retrospec project itself:
Clarence Vanderweele, Georgia Mahoney, Phillip Spinnato and Myrtle Cavendish will embark on a venture to begin saving worlds that are being destroyed across the universe. They will organize rescue teams to scout various worlds and collect saplings of the universe left out and lost due to instability of their home worlds. These seeds will then be brought to a safe haven to foster and grow to preserve the worlds in order to rehabilitate, recreate and restructure a universe. Furthermore, the idea behind this project is to undergo the study of layers of the universe and how multiverse theory may be altered to create an offshoot of varying timelines, pull resources and expand the universe as we know it.
With jars of ink in all colors and quills scattered about, it's easy (and tempting, really) to fill in some of the blanks. The company appears to be outlining their objectives and policies and several ideas have been added and crossed out. What's one more? It's not as though they'll really notice, right?
The moment a rule is written, the paper before you seems to absorb it, a distinct, soft click heard from elsewhere as the door behind you locks.
A lone figure suddenly materializes before you. For some, it's a man with a scepter and for some it's a woman with an ancient tome. For others still it's a woman with a sword or even a man channeling a power sort of energy, blue lines faintly glowing in his hands.
No matter the figure you encounter, they all share the same goal. There's an intruder in their midst and they want you gone and away from their research. Enclosed in such a tight space, finding a way out may seem impossible especially as you're fending off someone else's attack. The man with the scepter seems to take on a melee style of combat while the lady knight moves with grace and artful swings of her weapon. Both of these beings can be disarmed with skill and time, and they'll allow you to pass peacefully.
The woman with the tome will attempt to use standard spells against her opponent, anything to disarm or put you at a disadvantage. Elemental spells seem to be her forte along with a range of telekinesis, making objects fight for her. Watch out for chairs, the table, glass objects and other decorations from this meeting room. The only way to defeat her is to remove the tome from her hands and find a spell to unveil the door. She, too, will then let you pass peacefully and even heal you of wounds you receive.
The man with the blue hands, however, won't let anyone escape that easily. Illusions, telepathy and reality-shifting are his strengths. The room will change as he sees fit, reflecting your most inner thoughts or darkest places, stripping you of weapons and utilizing these to defend himself. The best way to defeat him is by breaking through the illusion, but…what will you do when you have the man in captivity?
The choice is yours, Retrospecters. Will you alter history, or leave things as they are now?
The city of Recollé…though not as you would currently recognize it. The only identifying feature of this land is the miles and miles of peach trees alongside the ocean, the starting foundations for Peach Beach and the woods flanking the area. The land itself seems to be newly inhabited, buildings starting to rise up and foundations stabilized as the people around you are hard at work in making this city into a place that's inhabitable. For those brave enough to venture forward, they may find themselves drawn into the woods, following a path that's less clear-cut than previous paths. Trees grow with tangled roots and the grass is tall and thick. Creatures such as snakes and bears live in these woods and for those who aren't careful where they step, they may encounter these creatures. However, a little bit of walking and dedication will bring adventurers to a wall of thick, green vines and foliage. Hidden just behind the foliage is a door, seemingly brand new and a light peers out from this section of the rocks before you. Sharp eyes will realize that there's a small, familiar logo hidden in the paint of this door as well.
Modernized for the times, the interior of the bunker is clean and orderly. A receptionist desk with a typewriter and rotary phone sit in the lobby, and should one test the phone they'll find everything seems to be in working order. The room is a centralized hub, a narrow hallway leading to four doors with emblems of a wolf, a rabbit, a bear and a koi fish on each. The rooms themselves are locked, but at the very end of the hallway is a large meeting space. Voices can be heard and upon peering inside, one might notice that a door slides open in the wall as the four founders of the city slip through it, the secret passageway closing on its own.
Spread out on the table are several sheets of paper, many of which reflect diagrams of layers, maps of the city, and several contracts and guidelines mapped out. Most familiar, of course, is a contract about the Retrospec project itself:
Clarence Vanderweele, Georgia Mahoney, Phillip Spinnato and Myrtle Cavendish will embark on a venture to begin saving worlds that are being destroyed across the universe. They will organize rescue teams to scout various worlds and collect saplings of the universe left out and lost due to instability of their home worlds. These seeds will then be brought to a safe haven to foster and grow to preserve the worlds in order to rehabilitate, recreate and restructure a universe. Furthermore, the idea behind this project is to undergo the study of layers of the universe and how multiverse theory may be altered to create an offshoot of varying timelines, pull resources and expand the universe as we know it.
With jars of ink in all colors and quills scattered about, it's easy (and tempting, really) to fill in some of the blanks. The company appears to be outlining their objectives and policies and several ideas have been added and crossed out. What's one more? It's not as though they'll really notice, right?
The moment a rule is written, the paper before you seems to absorb it, a distinct, soft click heard from elsewhere as the door behind you locks.
A lone figure suddenly materializes before you. For some, it's a man with a scepter and for some it's a woman with an ancient tome. For others still it's a woman with a sword or even a man channeling a power sort of energy, blue lines faintly glowing in his hands.
No matter the figure you encounter, they all share the same goal. There's an intruder in their midst and they want you gone and away from their research. Enclosed in such a tight space, finding a way out may seem impossible especially as you're fending off someone else's attack. The man with the scepter seems to take on a melee style of combat while the lady knight moves with grace and artful swings of her weapon. Both of these beings can be disarmed with skill and time, and they'll allow you to pass peacefully.
The woman with the tome will attempt to use standard spells against her opponent, anything to disarm or put you at a disadvantage. Elemental spells seem to be her forte along with a range of telekinesis, making objects fight for her. Watch out for chairs, the table, glass objects and other decorations from this meeting room. The only way to defeat her is to remove the tome from her hands and find a spell to unveil the door. She, too, will then let you pass peacefully and even heal you of wounds you receive.
The man with the blue hands, however, won't let anyone escape that easily. Illusions, telepathy and reality-shifting are his strengths. The room will change as he sees fit, reflecting your most inner thoughts or darkest places, stripping you of weapons and utilizing these to defend himself. The best way to defeat him is by breaking through the illusion, but…what will you do when you have the man in captivity?
The choice is yours, Retrospecters. Will you alter history, or leave things as they are now?
III. Odryria, May 1212
The planet you've arrived on seems to be in disarray. What once was a prosperous city with tall skyscrapers and natural streams flowing through and beautiful mountains in the distance has turned into a place where crops have burned and buildings have crumbled, plumes of smoke billow up and away from the ground below. Several flying machines streak across the sky, metal falling apart and crashing down with little warning. Mixed among the smoke are colored wisps, similar to the soul energy several of you have become familiar with. As each new citizen of this world runs and fights, preparing themselves for battle and to help stabilize their world, it becomes clear this is a losing fight as residents succumb to the damages, bodies disappearing and soul energy drifting up aimlessly to be lost forever.
Among the wreckage a mighty roar can be heard, and should you look up you'll find a majestic lioness running through the streets, a young woman clad in jeans, an old t-shirt, a worn leather jacket and sword in hand atop her back. It's hard to recognize her from afar, but some may come to realize this woman is Wendy Guo calling the shots and giving instructions to soldiers on the ground. The sphinx that she's riding seems agitated, large tail swishing and knocking out enemy forces in the air. The enemies in question are relentless, diving down on their prey and swiping to pull the souls out from their bodies, releasing them and tainting them.
Upon spotting a newcomer, however, Wendy and Surina the sphinx come to a halt and peer down at those standing to the side, eyes narrowed before Wendy speaks.
"What are you standing around for? The world's going to shit. Come see me about your assignment when you're ready!"
The planet you've arrived on seems to be in disarray. What once was a prosperous city with tall skyscrapers and natural streams flowing through and beautiful mountains in the distance has turned into a place where crops have burned and buildings have crumbled, plumes of smoke billow up and away from the ground below. Several flying machines streak across the sky, metal falling apart and crashing down with little warning. Mixed among the smoke are colored wisps, similar to the soul energy several of you have become familiar with. As each new citizen of this world runs and fights, preparing themselves for battle and to help stabilize their world, it becomes clear this is a losing fight as residents succumb to the damages, bodies disappearing and soul energy drifting up aimlessly to be lost forever.
Among the wreckage a mighty roar can be heard, and should you look up you'll find a majestic lioness running through the streets, a young woman clad in jeans, an old t-shirt, a worn leather jacket and sword in hand atop her back. It's hard to recognize her from afar, but some may come to realize this woman is Wendy Guo calling the shots and giving instructions to soldiers on the ground. The sphinx that she's riding seems agitated, large tail swishing and knocking out enemy forces in the air. The enemies in question are relentless, diving down on their prey and swiping to pull the souls out from their bodies, releasing them and tainting them.
Upon spotting a newcomer, however, Wendy and Surina the sphinx come to a halt and peer down at those standing to the side, eyes narrowed before Wendy speaks.
"What are you standing around for? The world's going to shit. Come see me about your assignment when you're ready!"
IV. The City of Recollé, October 2015
An empty classroom on the Recollé University campus is where this coordinate leads, and a quick glance at the calendar gives you an idea that it's Halloween. This particular classroom is decorated with appropriately spooky decor and the atmosphere is quiet. Standing at the front of the room, however, is a young man with brown hair and a lithe, almost scrawny figure. He's standing in front of a white board and appears to be writing fragments of information across the surface.
Missing persons articles are tacked up on a bulletin board next to the white board, all connected together by an array of red string, lines drawn together in a seemingly haphazard pattern. Stacks of psychology books sit on the edge of the teacher's desk and on top of those books appears to be a résumé for one Zachariah Carlisle. He doesn't turn to face whomever has appeared in this time, but as you draw closer it becomes clear that the fragments on the board are lists of the series of events from the last two and a half years of your timeline, beginning with a date four months into this timeline's future. A hand reaches up and the figure before you writes your name on the board, along with a few brief facts about you before he turns, capping the marker and folding his arms over his chest.
"I can't tell if you're early or if you're late, but the future's kind of messed up, isn't it? How can I help?"
An empty classroom on the Recollé University campus is where this coordinate leads, and a quick glance at the calendar gives you an idea that it's Halloween. This particular classroom is decorated with appropriately spooky decor and the atmosphere is quiet. Standing at the front of the room, however, is a young man with brown hair and a lithe, almost scrawny figure. He's standing in front of a white board and appears to be writing fragments of information across the surface.
Missing persons articles are tacked up on a bulletin board next to the white board, all connected together by an array of red string, lines drawn together in a seemingly haphazard pattern. Stacks of psychology books sit on the edge of the teacher's desk and on top of those books appears to be a résumé for one Zachariah Carlisle. He doesn't turn to face whomever has appeared in this time, but as you draw closer it becomes clear that the fragments on the board are lists of the series of events from the last two and a half years of your timeline, beginning with a date four months into this timeline's future. A hand reaches up and the figure before you writes your name on the board, along with a few brief facts about you before he turns, capping the marker and folding his arms over his chest.
"I can't tell if you're early or if you're late, but the future's kind of messed up, isn't it? How can I help?"
V. The Lab of James Halliday, March 1954
Appearing in a waiting room, anyone who finds themselves utilizing these coordinates will be asked to sign in and provide their information for the doctor. There doesn't appear to be an exit to the waiting room, simply a hallway leading north and two halls leading east and west. The lab itself smells sterile and clean, white lights hanging from above as the receptionist (a young woman named Abigail, it seems) appears to be waiting for you to fill out your paperwork.
The turnaround time is almost instantaneous as you're ushered back into an examination room. The nurse is chatty and bubbly as she takes your vitals, writing down information as needed. While the nurse won't actually answer any of your questions about this place, she'll ask about your medical history. Regardless of your answer, she'll assure you of one thing.
"Dr. Halliday will take care of you, honey. Just relax. This will only hurt for a minute."
A prick to your skin is the last thing you feel as your eyes drift closed, an overwhelming sleepiness taking over as you fall into darkness.
The next time you awaken it's in an operating room and a young doctor's shining a flashlight into your eyes. Brown eyes peer at you inquisitively, and Dr. Halliday hums before turning back to his wall of specimens and vials of potions. Jars of half-formed creatures glow a sickly sort of green, all labeled with names such as "chimera" or "harpy" or "minotaur." There's another set of jars labeled names such as "Jet", "Rebecca" and "Dylan." Microscopes, petri dishes and several scalpels await on various tables in the room and the doctor hums again before he taps his finger to his chin.
"I believe I'd like to pick your brain for a moment. Just a moment! It's simply for research, you see." With a grand flourish, the doctor gestures to a computer in the corner along with several case files and notebooks of research. "To create the perfect hybrid…years of research will have to go into this, but gathering as much data as possible will help. These tests are quite simple." The doctor reaches over, opening a case of syringes and medical tools.
"We'll start with this one."
While it's possible to dodge the doctor, some of you may not be so quick and will feel another pinch, the effects of the syringe setting in almost seamlessly. Even if your mind becomes hazy, one thing is certain. You should probably get out of here, and quickly. Unfortunately for you, you'll have to find a space that your phone's signal will pick up and allow you to access the Retrospec app. It's a race against time and the orderlies in the lab approaching you, ready to strap you down for more research. The doctor's research is spread throughout the lab in the three separate operating rooms and three separate examination rooms, and upon further investigation it seems as though you (and whoever you came with) are on your own to find a way out.
Think fast; will you save yourselves, or will you try to obtain more information and stop this operation for good?
Appearing in a waiting room, anyone who finds themselves utilizing these coordinates will be asked to sign in and provide their information for the doctor. There doesn't appear to be an exit to the waiting room, simply a hallway leading north and two halls leading east and west. The lab itself smells sterile and clean, white lights hanging from above as the receptionist (a young woman named Abigail, it seems) appears to be waiting for you to fill out your paperwork.
The turnaround time is almost instantaneous as you're ushered back into an examination room. The nurse is chatty and bubbly as she takes your vitals, writing down information as needed. While the nurse won't actually answer any of your questions about this place, she'll ask about your medical history. Regardless of your answer, she'll assure you of one thing.
"Dr. Halliday will take care of you, honey. Just relax. This will only hurt for a minute."
A prick to your skin is the last thing you feel as your eyes drift closed, an overwhelming sleepiness taking over as you fall into darkness.
The next time you awaken it's in an operating room and a young doctor's shining a flashlight into your eyes. Brown eyes peer at you inquisitively, and Dr. Halliday hums before turning back to his wall of specimens and vials of potions. Jars of half-formed creatures glow a sickly sort of green, all labeled with names such as "chimera" or "harpy" or "minotaur." There's another set of jars labeled names such as "Jet", "Rebecca" and "Dylan." Microscopes, petri dishes and several scalpels await on various tables in the room and the doctor hums again before he taps his finger to his chin.
"I believe I'd like to pick your brain for a moment. Just a moment! It's simply for research, you see." With a grand flourish, the doctor gestures to a computer in the corner along with several case files and notebooks of research. "To create the perfect hybrid…years of research will have to go into this, but gathering as much data as possible will help. These tests are quite simple." The doctor reaches over, opening a case of syringes and medical tools.
"We'll start with this one."
While it's possible to dodge the doctor, some of you may not be so quick and will feel another pinch, the effects of the syringe setting in almost seamlessly. Even if your mind becomes hazy, one thing is certain. You should probably get out of here, and quickly. Unfortunately for you, you'll have to find a space that your phone's signal will pick up and allow you to access the Retrospec app. It's a race against time and the orderlies in the lab approaching you, ready to strap you down for more research. The doctor's research is spread throughout the lab in the three separate operating rooms and three separate examination rooms, and upon further investigation it seems as though you (and whoever you came with) are on your own to find a way out.
Think fast; will you save yourselves, or will you try to obtain more information and stop this operation for good?
VI. ??????
Perhaps you're the type to take matters into your own hands, or maybe you're simply curious. It seems as though the timeline-hopping portion of the Retrospec application allows users to input their own information, giving you the option to type in a place and a time of your own. Unlike the other coordinates, however, the moment you shift to this new time a countdown timer appears.
One hour. You have one hour to see your past or your future history, what could possibly happen in this timeline and what may be waiting for you. While this may seem like a wonderful opportunity, do take care…even the slightest change in your timeline may impact the world at large.
Are you the kind who wishes to study the dinosaurs up close? Or maybe you just want to go backwards to cram in extra studying for your finals. There doesn't seem to be a limit on locations, and the application appears to be programmed to understand regardless of how obscure it seems.
Take your time exploring, adventurers. You may learn something new.
Perhaps you're the type to take matters into your own hands, or maybe you're simply curious. It seems as though the timeline-hopping portion of the Retrospec application allows users to input their own information, giving you the option to type in a place and a time of your own. Unlike the other coordinates, however, the moment you shift to this new time a countdown timer appears.
One hour. You have one hour to see your past or your future history, what could possibly happen in this timeline and what may be waiting for you. While this may seem like a wonderful opportunity, do take care…even the slightest change in your timeline may impact the world at large.
Are you the kind who wishes to study the dinosaurs up close? Or maybe you just want to go backwards to cram in extra studying for your finals. There doesn't seem to be a limit on locations, and the application appears to be programmed to understand regardless of how obscure it seems.
Take your time exploring, adventurers. You may learn something new.
NOTES.
Welcome torecolle's May event log!
A few notes about the prompts for this one:
Prompt II: You are free to NPC your own fights with the Founders! They will not speak, but you may use their styles of fighting to create your own scenarios and decide if your characters win or not. If you'd like to encounter Vanderweele and try to defeat him, please see the comment linked in prompt II.
Prompt III: Likewise, you are free to NPC your own fights with the flying creatures on this planet if you don't want an assignment from Wendy. These creatures are fairly ruthless and will attempt to tear people apart to steal their soul energy but they will turn into dust once defeated. Likewise, you may explore the city of this planet itself. Strangely, it's similar to Recollé.
Prompt V: You may also NPC your own routes and encounters in the lab. Orderlies will attempt to chase characters down to strap to tables and continue running experiments, and characters will come across several jars of specimens and research, but the exit can be found in the northmost hallway to make the jump back.
You can claim three freebies on this log!
-Players may claim one freebie for a thread involving a jump to another time. This must be at least 5 comments from you.
-Players may claim one freebie for a thread engaging with something in the time jump whether that's writing out a new rule, helping with the battle, speaking to an npc or etc. This must be at least 5 comments from you.
-Players may claim one freebie for exploring their own coordinates. This must be at least 5 comments from you.
Finally, any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here. Be sure to review the mods' question thread on the plotting post for additional information as well!
Welcome to
recolle's May event log!A few notes about the prompts for this one:
Prompt II: You are free to NPC your own fights with the Founders! They will not speak, but you may use their styles of fighting to create your own scenarios and decide if your characters win or not. If you'd like to encounter Vanderweele and try to defeat him, please see the comment linked in prompt II.
Prompt III: Likewise, you are free to NPC your own fights with the flying creatures on this planet if you don't want an assignment from Wendy. These creatures are fairly ruthless and will attempt to tear people apart to steal their soul energy but they will turn into dust once defeated. Likewise, you may explore the city of this planet itself. Strangely, it's similar to Recollé.
Prompt V: You may also NPC your own routes and encounters in the lab. Orderlies will attempt to chase characters down to strap to tables and continue running experiments, and characters will come across several jars of specimens and research, but the exit can be found in the northmost hallway to make the jump back.
You can claim three freebies on this log!
-Players may claim one freebie for a thread involving a jump to another time. This must be at least 5 comments from you.
-Players may claim one freebie for a thread engaging with something in the time jump whether that's writing out a new rule, helping with the battle, speaking to an npc or etc. This must be at least 5 comments from you.
-Players may claim one freebie for exploring their own coordinates. This must be at least 5 comments from you.
Finally, any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here. Be sure to review the mods' question thread on the plotting post for additional information as well!
no subject
"There's also the chance he won't actually be truthful though. So unless we have him hooked up to a lie detector or something...interrogating him might not work efficiently."
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Back on task. "There's no chance in hell he tells us the truth. And I don't know what he cares about, so we can't incentivize him. So... do we know anyone who can. I don't fucking know, cast Zone of Truth at him? Nobody on the app can when I'm from, far as I know."
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He folds his arms over his chest. "There are a few magic users, I think, from what I've seen. And there's always the regular police department but I don't trust normal police for something as complex as this. Maybe psychological warfare will work on him. Just get him to admit the truth without realizing that's what he's doing."
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"God damn it. Matthews. You're going to make me work with Matthews?" She looks... kind of disgusted at herself. "He wants to make Vanderweele suffer. He wants to draw this shit out with magic that he doesn't know how to use or control yet. He wants to suck out Vanderweele's soul, which, like, fuckin' good luck," she adds quickly while she paces the room, "And make him, I don't know. Pay for everything he did to us. I fucking get it, but once we have Clarence, there's no goddamn point in dragging it out a second longer than we need him!"
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"No, I'm not making you work with anybody but that is information that would have been good to know sooner. I mean trust me, I get it, too. I get that a lot of people must be angry about what's happening but the whole point is to try and keep the timeline as stable as possible, not ruin it out of anger."
And someone who is running high on emotion and is looking for revenge...isn't exactly who he wants on his side here.
"Okay, so maybe not magic. We'll do this the old fashioned way. Maybe once I'm actually in their headquarters I can find something to help us. I have one more round of interviews but then I should be in." He seems to be stuck on that now, too. "Do you think Vanderweele should suffer at all for what was done?"
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And, well. Look. She wants Vanderweele dead, but Zee's question gives her pause. She folds her robotic arms over her chest, spins on an android heel that she's had more than enough time to get used to by now, and peers at Zee through filthy white bangs hanging over that gold-trimmed white eyepatch that someone she hadn't known existed before last February had made for her.
"I want him to hurt. I want him to get everything slowly taken from him the same way he's been taking things from us. I want his world to get turned completely upside-down the same way he did to every last one of us every day for the past year of my life." She closes her eye and exhales, mostly for show.
"But what I want doesn't matter right now. I need to keep the city safe. I need to make sure that there's something worth living for on the other end of all of this." Especially if time travel is involved. Especially if everything she's become is at stake. Her eye opens. "So I have to swallow that and just be satisfied that we'll stop him. Because there's bigger shit at stake here."
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But no. She's not exactly a stranger. Blips in the timeline have shown this girl in an office that he's placed as his own. He doesn't try to remember his images for long to save the talent for the company, but it's helpful in this instance.
It's also why he seems to get that she's telling him the truth but has enough grace and maturity to handle the situation.
"It sort of makes you wonder just how long and how far this has gone. The company's been in business for almost one hundred years and we're just now starting to scratch the surface? It's like they didn't want to try to fix things after things started changing. I can't really say, I've only spoken to a few people inside, but..." There's a shrug.
"For all intents and purposes, if he's still really alive, his world and our world are the same. To destroy his world would be destroying ours if we don't take precautions. Without Vanderweele in the first place there might not be a city. And that's what we have to find out. How strong will the founders be if you incapacitate one of the legs? It might be for their own good, it might not."
There's another pause then. "...you're someone I trust in the future, aren't you." This isn't really a question, but more like asking for confirmation of a fact.
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"I'd like to think I am," she says, looking the quietest sort of pleased with herself. "I could tell you about it, but that'd be spoilers." This is the closest to a shit-eating grin she'll allow herself to have for a very long time, so she really savors it before she tries to think about possible answers to why Retrospec never investigated anything.
"Maybe he made it too difficult to fix. Maybe the first thing he did was make them not care that he was changing it." A pause. "Maybe they didn't know he changed it." That's fucking how cause and effect works. Go back far enough and it's always been that way. God, she's been a fucking idiot this whole time.
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"If they didn't know things were being changed, because by changing them that means for them things were always this way, then that would explain how this has gone on for as long as it has. Which takes us back to the origin point and needing to figure out how to quit before it starts. Either that, or figure out if he left behind any sort of imprint or clues or anything at different points of them to incorporate into the company's research and get them on the right track to stop this."
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And she doesn't want to make him too busy to actually get the job. That would fuck everything over. "Plus I think he's got more of a handle on things. Got that job security and everything."
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"He's me, and I'm technically him, so it's likely that things have changed now and future me would know something new. That's really all I can say on it."
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Her arms are crossed over her chest while she talks, but at least the words are coming easier. "Wanna make sure it's still you I report back to. You know? We have plans."
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"The thing about me, I think, is that all versions of me are going to be me. It'll just be parts of me that have pieced together things I'm seeing. I don't understand all of this because up until recently my life was not spent getting flash-visions of other worlds and timelines, but apparently it works out. We'll be fine."
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"One of the things I say to you in the future is that I don't like the idea of destiny, but being destined for something feels pretty damn good." She's... sort of going somewhere with this? "If you already know it's all gonna work out, great. My job from here is making sure that the part where it works out gets here smoothly."
Her arms uncross; here's the determination she was missing. "I'm not the smartest robot in the junkyard. Never have been. I can't put together a decent plan to save my life. But Recollé is... everything to me." And there's almost a look of disbelief as she says it, like it's not something she lets herself say out loud often. "So if you need me to go time jumping or sacrifice more body parts, or... let the guy I've been chasing for months live, to keep the city safe, I'll do it. I want the city to live just as much as anyone else."
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Nevertheless he holds up a hand. "Sacrificing more body parts probably isn't necessary." His expression softens a bit though. "...but I get it. And I guess I get it years in the future, too."
There's a pause and he thinks for a moment. "...my agenda has always been to get from point A to point B based on what I'm seeing. I've seen a world where the city's in tact, the company's more hands off, and the universe itself starts being rebuilt without actively destroying people to get there. It's possible, but if one thing goes wrong then...yeah, we're fucked.
It's why I need to find Vanderweele since I think he's the crux of it all. Even if people don't agree with me. If I'm wrong, then we'll figure it out. But that's why I'm trying to get hired here. They know what I can do, and I don't care if they use that ability. I need to get the timing right and find the people I'm looking for."
But...there's a grin. "At the end of the day? Sounds like all of us have the same goal. Is it presumptuous to say "report to my office in the future"?"
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Whatever they have coming up next, she's not even sure. She wants to figure out what the path to his perfect point B is. And she knows he does, too. So she probably needs to talk to a version of him who's actually walked that path a little more in the leadup to what's going to be their last good push. The thing that makes or breaks the city.
"Thanks for the talk. Seriously. You gave me a lot of stuff to think about and I'm gonna take some time to reflect." Which is the nicest way of obfuscating her actual time-based plans once she walks out of here. "And I'll hit you up in, like, 42, 43 months? Good luck, dude. You're gonna kill it."
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"Let's hope you're right." And with that he waves her off. It seems they both have some thinking to do anyway.